Sir Ian McKellen is withdrawing from the national tour of Player Kings after he fell off a West End stage last month.
The veteran actor said he was taking medical advice with “the greatest reluctance” to “protect my full recovery”.
McKellen, 85, a star of stage and screen, lost his footing while performing the role of Sir John Falstaff at the Noël Coward Theatre. The actor, who had been performing in a fight scene, cried out in pain and called for help. A staff member and two doctors in the audience came to his assistance.
He was taken to hospital for treatment. Two shows were cancelled to allow him to rest, before David Semark, his understudy, stepped in to finish the West End run.
Shortly after the incident, a theatre spokesperson said McKellen had undergone a scan and medics said he would “make a speedy and full recovery”. He was in good spirits, the spokesperson said.
Semark will perform the role of Falstaff for the national tour, which begins on Wednesday.
McKellen said: “Two weeks after my accident onstage, my injuries improve day by day. It’s with the greatest reluctance that I have accepted the medical advice to protect my full recovery by not working in the meantime.
“I had been so looking forward to bringing Player Kings to theatregoers in Bristol, Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle. But I can assure them that, with David Semark now playing Falstaff, Robert Icke’s production and his acting company remain as dazzling as ever. Go see for yourself.”
The production team added: “Following Ian McKellen’s injury during the West End run of Player Kings, his doctors’ advice is to take time off from work in order to fully recover. As such, he will not be returning to play Sir John Falstaff in the national tour of Players Kings (3-27 July 2024).
“Ian continues to recuperate very well, but he needs the time to rest and ensure a complete recovery. We continue to send him our best wishes. As it was for the final West End performances, the role of Falstaff will now be performed by David Semark, Ian’s brilliant understudy, for all tour dates of Player Kings.”
after newsletter promotion
Player Kings, a production of Henry IV, parts one and two, adapted and directed by Icke, is due to move to the Bristol Hippodrome on 3 July.
McKellen’s previous Shakespeare credits include roles as Richard II, Coriolanus, Iago, Richard III, King Lear and Macbeth. He is also due to star as Hamlet in a film adaptation directed by Sean Mathias.
His onscreen credits include Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, and Magneto in the X-Men films, as well as roles in Beauty and the Beast, The Da Vinci Code and Mr Holmes.
The actor also appeared in the ITV soap Coronation Street in 2005 as the scheming romance author Mel Hutchwright.
Five years ago, McKellen was forced to cancel a King Lear showing at the Duke of York theatre in London after sustaining a leg injury while running to catch a train – but he ensured the audience was entertained by sitting on stage and answering questions.
Semark trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) and has appeared in TV shows including EastEnders, Doctors, Law & Order UK and The Bill.
